Packaging machine



NOV. 29, 1938. s, HOWARD 2,138,101

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July' 28, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR V MCMW ATTORNEY Nov. 29, 1938. s. R. HOWARD 2,138,101

' PACKAGING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I I I INVENTOR BY 3 6% mm ATTORNEY I: UN TE-o T STATE ing operations are being performed.

' ferredform a bottom sealing machine of the se es- 9 19 PATENT-"OFFICE,

, I p p rACKAGnvGMA mnE v 1 R. Howard, "m r 6 r Pneumatic, Scale Co" ration, Limited, Mass., a. corporation of Massachusetts Application July 2s,- manseneino. 156,156

9 Claims. ((193- 36) This inventionrelate s to a packaging machine and particularly toa bottom sealing machine of the type provided with forming blocks upon which thecartons arsu'pported while the bottom seal- One object f the invention is to provide a r novel-andimprovedbottom sealing machine of the character" specified in whichprovision is made forpunchi'ng a hole-through the bottom of the j 10 carton, and preferably through the closed andsealed bottom flaps of a carton while the latter is supported on the forming block. r,

I a novel and'improved bottom sealing machine of the character specified in1which' a punch is -provided at one station of operation which is adapted to cooperate with a die carriedby each of a plurality; of forming blocks arranged to, be suc-. cessively: advanced into operative relationship I with the punch, and-inwhich provision is made at a succeeding station of operation for stripping the carton from the forming block and forthere-= after clearing" the punched out portion-fromnthev die.

With theseobje'cts in view may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the bottom sealing machine and'in the various. structures, l arrangements and combinations of,

trat edtmachine comprisesany of; the usual forms ofibottom sealing machines novv upon the market.

Reference is made tolth e patent to W. S. Scales,

No. 767,445, dated August 16,, 1904, as disclosing the details of construction and mode of operationof such prior. art I'bottom" sealing machines.

- is generally. known, and asillustrated in 'i the Scales patent, No. 767,445, above referred to,

parts hereinafter described and partic'ularly de- 30 fined in theiclaims at-the-end of this specifl,-' -cation." -v In thedi'awings'illustrating the preferred embodiment of the inventiomsFig. 1 is a diagramis thema'chine; and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional detail of one of the forming blocks. 1 v

' The present invention contemplates in itspretype characterized'by having forming blocks on :which the cartons ,are supported while the ,bot-

tom sealing operations are performed and in 45 which provision is made for punching a hole in 1 the bottom of thecarton thus supported on the block and for thereafter removing the punched iout. sections remaining in the forming blocks 1 ,afterthe cartonhas been removed from the to block." I

.Referring now to thedrawings, thedifferent features o'f the invention are illustrated as embodied, in a machine for closing and sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, and except as to such 55 details as are hereinafter pointed out, the illusthese prior art bottom sealing machines have ineluded four forming blocks upon each of which .a carton is placed by suitable mechanism, with the bottom iiaps of the carton projecting below Another object of the" invention is to provide,

the bottom of he block. Successive cartons are placed upon successive blocks as each block is moved into a definite station, and thereafter a particular block with'itscart'on is intermittently Inasmuch as portions .of the bottom sealing machine of themselves constitute no part of the presentinvention, it has been deemed sufficient to illustrate only -suflicient portions of the and such others vas bottom sealing machine as will enable the present invention to be understoodandasherein shown, Hl represents the usual rotatable spider upon which four-forming blocks I! are mounted to -.revolve'therew7lth, The differentstationsof the machine, asdlagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 include: station I, at which the carton is placed-upon a block; station 2, at which the bottom flaps are folded and sealed; station 3, at

which pressure is applied to the bottom of the carton'to firmly set thesealed flaps; "and, station 4, atwhichtheicarton .is removed from the block and ,delivered to an outgoing conveyor'8 to be carried away from the ,machine.

The. spider I0 is arranged to .be intermittently rotated by the usual form of Geneva drive including the Geneva wheel i H and driver l6 through thecooperating gears 1'8, 20. The driver l6 is 'rotated from a convenient source of power through a shaft 22 and bevel gearsl l', 26, the latter being mountedupon a drive shaft 28.

' Referring to Eigsi2, and 4, the mechanism for punching a hole in the bottom of the carton,

generally indicated at 32, is located at station 3 where the operation rof applying", pressure to the I bottom of the blocl: to set the previously sealed bottomfiaps of, the c'arton'is performed. As herein shown, the punching mechanism is formed as apart of and is arranged to operate simultaneously with' the usual presser pad. The presser pad comprises the usual vertically recip- The light-source I0, where of neon tube character, may be actuated by a flashing circuit comprising a secondary winding 33 of a transformer T whose primary winding 34 is supplied by a suitable source of low potential current, for instance a battery 35. The transformer T and battery 3.": may conveniently be placedupon the shelf s above the light and tube mounting. In circuit also with the primary winding and the current source is a commutator 36 which may comprise a body of insula tion and a commutator bar 31 of copperor other suitable metal, arranged to be contacted by a pair of brushes 38, 39, carried on a brush holder 40. A convenient switch, as a double pole single throw switch 4| serves to control the circuit. The commutator brushes 38,39 may be of rod-form, of

' carbon or graphite composition, and with a spring 42 suitably arranged, constant contact with the commutator is assured. The; commutator 36 is carried by one of the shafts in the machine, such as to give properly timed contact for the closing of the circuit to produce the light flash upon the rapidly moving impressed paper web. In the form shown,'the commutator is mounted on' the shaft of one of the cutter rolls 4.

In operation, the web of paper is'fed through v I the seriesjof printing rolls A, BC, and the imillustrations andprinted text. With the paper.

pressing or impression surfaces at A, B, C, for example, may apply successivecolor impressions, as in the three-color process, and the impression 'surfacesat D, E, may apply black, asprinting,

etc., the entire assembly then providing colored web thus subjected to successive impressionapplying surfaces, the operator views it in its rapid motion, as he sights through the eye piece H'ofthe vising-tube. At the same time, the

commutator bar 31 of the commutator on the cutter-roll is making rapid contact with brushes 3 38, 39, thereby completing the" circuit of the prlmary winding of the transformer, and correspondingly providing impulses in the secondary circuit to the light t'ube Ill. The voltage here j may be of any suitable order, for instance 15,000

. curacy of register.

roller 50, as for instance onswing-arms 52, and a 54 taking into a nut 55', the angular position of s volts. If conveniently-located regulating means-' be close at-the hand of the operator, he is thus in a position to regulate-the register of the suc-' cessive impression-applying rolls. For example, a desirable means for this may comprise adjustable slack-r'olls 50, 51, between successive impression applying cylinders. 'With these, the

paper web threads over therollers 50,-5l, such as to provide a variable amount of'sla'ck between the successive printing cylinders, and by adjusting the angular position of roller 50 with respect to roller 5|, more or less of the slack may be used, and correspondingly the paper web may be advanced 'or retarded with respect to the suc-- ceeding impression-applying surface, and thus" the point of applicationrna'y be brought into ac- With a swing mounting of hand-wheel 53 controlling a screw-threaded stem the roller 50 may be simply and accurately controlled.

' It is thus unnecessary to wait until the finished product has gone clear through the machine before checking and adjusting the register. Rather,-

this maybe accomplished as the web travels along from the successive impression-applying surface, and irrespective of the speed, immediate and accurate register-adjustment may be made .with convenience by the operator.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention maybe employed, change being madeas regards the details described, provided however, the features set forth in any of the follow ing claims, or the equivalent of such, be em ployed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In printing machinery having a series of cylinders for applying ink impressions in succession to a travelling web of paper and having means for regulating. said travelling web so as to obtain accurate register of said impressions, viewing means for obtaining a standstill view of said web to ascertain the register of the printed impressions, said viewing means including means i for flashing light on the web and means in synchronism with the speed of travel of said web for providing the flashes, saidv viewing means being located in operating reach of said regulator means.

2. In printing machinery having a series of cylinders for applying'ink impressions in succession to atravelling web of paperand having means for regulatingsaid travelling web so as to obtainaccurate register of saidimpr'essions, foldcutting mea'ns over which theprinted web runs,

means for obtaining a standstill view 'of said web to ascertain the register of the printed impressions; including means for flashing light on the web and means- 'operating in timed relation with said folding and cutting means and having a controlling-connection to said light-flashing :means for timing the flashes r light with the travel of the web. v

4. In printing machinery having spaced apart longitudinally extending framingelernents and a series of cylinders transversely mountedtherebetween for applying ink-impressionsin succession td a travelling web of papeg andhaving means or regulating said travelling. webso as to .obtain accurate register of said impressions, folding and cutting'means over qwhich'the; printed web runs,

means for intermittently flashing light on the web, means for timing the flashesvof light with the travel ofthe'web,-a;controlling-connection between said timing means and. said light-flashing means, and a viewing tubesighting upon the travelling web betweensaidcylinders' and sai folding and cutting means. I A s 5. In printing machinery having spaced apart longitudinally extending framing elements and a series of cylinders transversely mounted therebetween for applying ink' impressions-in succession to a, travelling web Ofpaper and having means'for regulating said travellingzweb so as to obtain accurate register 'of said impressions, folding and cutting means over which the printed web runs, means for intermittently flashing light on the web, means for timing the flashes of light with the travel of the web, a controlling-connection between said timing means and said lightflashing means, and a sighting tube with one end facing the web and the other and extending 3. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons in combination, a forming block provided with a die in the bottom thereof, means for operatively supporting said forming block, connections between said supporting means and said block adapted to permit the block to be moved laterally with relation to said supporting means, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die, means for operating the punch member to punch an opening in the bottom of the carton and to deposit the punched out portions of the bottom of the carton in the die, and means for thereafter clearing the punched out portions of the carton from the die.

4. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, a forming block provided with a die in the bottom thereof, means for operatively supporting said forming-block, connections between said supporting means and said block adapted to permit the block to be moved laterally with relation to said supporting means, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die, means for operating the punch member to punch an opening in the bottom of the carton and to deposit the punched out portions of the bottom of the carton in the die, and a clearing member supported within the block and movable into the die for removing the punched out portions therefrom.

5. In a bottom sealing machine, in combination, a forming block, means for operatively supporting said forming block, connections between said supporting means and said block adapted to permit the block to be moved laterally with relation to said supporting means, means for sealing the bottom flaps of a carton, including a member for pressing the bottom flaps against the bottom of the block, a die disposed in the bottom of the block, and a punch member adapted to cooperate with the die to form an opening in the bottom of the carton, said punch member being operatively supported by said bottom flap presser member whereby the pressing and punching operations are performed in one operation.

6. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, a forming block provided with a die in the bottom thereof,

means for operatively supporting said forming block, connections between said supporting means and said block adapted to permit the block to be moved laterally with relation to said supporting means, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die, registering means for effecting alignment of the die and the punch, and means for thereafter operating the punch to perform the punching operation.

7. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, movable carton holding means for operatively supporting a carton during the bottom flap folding and sealing operations, means for operatively supporting said carton holding means, connections between said supporting means and said holding means adapted to permit lateral movement of the latter with relation to said supporting means, andmeans for forming an opening in the bottom of the carton while held by said carton holding means, after the said bottom flap folding and sealing operations have been performed.

8. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, movable carton holding means for operatively supporting a carton during the bottom flap folding and sealing operations, means for operatively supporting said carton holding means, connections between said supporting means and said holding means adapted to permit lateral movement of the latter with relation to said supporting means, a die mounted on the carton holding means, a punch adapted to cooperate with the die to form an opening in the bottom of the carton while held by said carton holding means after the said bot tom flap folding and sealing operations have been performed, and means for aligning the die with the punch prior to the operation of the latter.

said aligning means being capable of eifecting movement of said carton holding means with relation to its supporting means.

. 9. In a bottom sealing machine for sealing the bottom flaps of cartons, in combination, a forming block provided with a die in the bottom thereof, means for operatively supporting said forming block, connections between said supporting means and said block adapted to permit the block to be moved laterally withrelation to said supporting means, a punch member adapted for cooperation with the die to form an opening in the bottom of the carton, and means for moving said block with relation to said supporting member whereby to efiect alignment of the die and the punch including a registering member carried by said block and a second registering member adapted to cooperate with the registering member upon .the block prior to the punching operation, and means for thereafter operating the punch to perform the punching operation.

STANLEY R. HOWARD. 

